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Clémenceau’s speech on total war

Clémenceau’s speech on total war

At a time when doubt and despondency weighed on both soldiers and the population in general, Clémenceau gave his famous investiture speech before the Chamber of Deputies, as Prime Minister and Minister of War

« We present ourselves before you with the single thought of a total war »

« Silent soldiers in the factories, deaf to negative thoughts (Applause), aged peasants bowed over their land, solid women hard at work, and children earnestly contributing their frail help: these are our troops »

His speech, expressing his determination to achieve total victory, restored confidence and recognised all those who were valiantly contributing to the war effort. In the Renault, Berliet, Somua, and Latil factories, workers were not only producing munitions and artillery weapons but also vehicles, with the FT 17, the future Victory Tank, in the pipeline

Barely a year later, he was able to address the Chamber of Deputies once again and announce the armistice and victory, earning him the nickname of the Father of Victory